Contents
1. Before You Start
2. Real-Time Duplicate Warning on the Lead Form
3. Duplicate Warning on Convert Lead
4. Choosing "Use Existing Account" (Merge Path)
5. Normal Conversion When No Duplicate Exists
6. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Before You Start
You will need:
Access to the Leads module with Edit and ConvertLead permissions.
At least one existing Contact record in the CRM to trigger the duplicate warning.
Access requirements: All users with the standard Lead Edit and Convert Lead permissions will see these features automatically. No additional role or settings change is required.
2. Real-Time Duplicate Warning on the Lead Form
When you create or edit a lead, the CRM checks for Contacts with the same first and last name as soon as you move out of either name field.
1. Navigate to Leads and open or create a lead record.
2. Type the patient's First Name and Last Name.
3. Click or tab out of the name field.
If a matching Contact already exists, an amber banner appears at the top of the form: Potential duplicate detected — A contact with this name already exists.
Banner element | What it means |
Amber alert bar | One or more Contacts share this first and last name |
Linked name(s) | Click to open the existing Contact in a new tab and compare records |
No blocking | The banner is informational only — you can still save the lead |
Tip: The banner updates automatically whenever you change the first or last name — no need to refresh the page. If the name is unique, the banner disappears on its own.
3. Duplicate Warning on Convert Lead
When you open the Convert Lead modal for a lead whose name matches one or more existing Contacts, a "Potential Duplicate Detected" panel appears at the top of the modal before any form fields.
1. Open a Lead detail page.
2. Click the green Convert Lead button (top-right of the record).
3. The conversion modal opens. If duplicates are found, the amber panel is shown immediately.
The panel shows two radio-button options:
Option | Effect |
Create new Account, Contact & Opportunity (Default) | Proceeds exactly as before — creates a new Contact, Account (if applicable), and Intake Opportunity |
Use existing account [Name] (contact: [Name]) | Links the new Intake Opportunity to the existing patient; no new Contact or Account is created |
Tip: Each matching Contact that has a linked Account appears as its own "Use existing" radio option. If a matching Contact has no Account, only the default option is available.
4. Choosing "Use Existing Account" (Merge Path)
Select this option when you confirm the lead belongs to a patient already in the system. 1. In the duplicate panel, select the Use existing account [Name] radio button.
2. The Account and Contact creation sections collapse automatically — you only need to fill in the Intake Opportunity details.
3. Fill in the required Intake Opportunity fields (Treatment Location, Levels of Care, Sales Stage, etc.). 4. Click Save.
The system creates a new Intake Opportunity linked to the existing Contact and Account. No duplicate patient record is created.
Important: You must still fill in all required Opportunity fields even when merging. The form will not submit if mandatory fields are blank.
5. Normal Conversion When No Duplicate Exists
If the lead's name does not match any existing Contact, the conversion modal opens without the warning panel — the standard Create Account and Create Intake Opportunity sections are shown as usual.
Proceed with conversion as you normally would.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I ignore the duplicate banner and save the lead anyway? Yes. The banner is a warning, not a blocker. You can save the lead normally even when duplicates are detected. The isAllowDuplicate flag is set automatically so the server-side duplicate check does not prevent saving.
Q: What if the matching Contact is not the same person? Select Create new Account, Contact & Opportunity (Default) — this preserves the existing Contact and creates a new one for the new patient.
Q: Does the "Use existing account" option update the existing Contact record? No. The existing Contact and Account are left exactly as they are. Only a new Intake Opportunity is created and linked to them.
Q: Will the lead be marked as converted? Yes. Regardless of which option you choose, the lead is marked converted after a successful save and the Convert Lead button is no longer shown on the detail page.
Q: What if the duplicate has an Account but I want to link to a different Account? Use the default option to create a new Contact/Account, or manually edit the new Intake Opportunity after conversion to update the linked Account.
Q: The duplicate banner appeared but I changed the name — will it clear? Yes. The banner re checks every time you leave the First Name, Last Name, or Date of Birth field. If the new name has no matching Contacts the banner disappears automatically.
Q: Do these checks apply to the mobile lead form? The real-time banner on the Add/Edit form is desktop-only. The Convert Lead modal duplicate panel works on all device types.
Need Help?
If you run into issues:
1. Confirm the lead's first and last name are spelled correctly — the duplicate check is an exact match on both fields.
2. Check that the existing Contact record is not deleted (deleted records are excluded from duplicate detection).